Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Oldham and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,097 in Oldham versus $2,507 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,037 in Oldham versus $3,577 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,976 in Oldham versus $4,647 in Hamilton.

Living in Oldham costs roughly 16% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oldham 56% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.61 £15.32

$18.39 CA$25.47

12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.4 £64.9

$74.6 CA$103

17.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 £7.60

$10.84 CA$15.02

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$4.86 £3.61

$4.03 CA$5.58

20.60%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 £1.94

$2.10 CA$2.90

24.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.73 CA$2.39

0.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.83 £5.08

$5.73 CA$7.94

19.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 £4.41

$6.49 CA$8.99

-8.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.23 CA$3.09

-26.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 £1.27

$2.11 CA$2.92

-18.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 £2.52

$3.00 CA$4.16

12.67%

Eggs

$3.93 £2.92

$3.20 CA$4.43

22.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 £7.96

$7.76 CA$10.74

38.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 £7.24

$11.64 CA$16.11

-16.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 £12.96

$14.37 CA$19.89

21.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 £2.46

$3.86 CA$5.34

-14.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.31 CA$1.81

45.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 £2.31

$3.58 CA$4.95

-13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 £2.76

$3.73 CA$5.17

-0.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$2.64 CA$3.65

-32.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.20 CA$3.04

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 £0.98

$2.22 CA$3.08

-40.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 £1.08

$2.00 CA$2.77

-27.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.53 £13.78

$13.59 CA$18.82

36.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 £7.67

$13.08 CA$18.11

-21.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 £2.04

$2.47 CA$3.42

11.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 £2.54

$3.01 CA$4.16

13.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 £2.56

$2.56 CA$3.55

34.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.7 £62.2

$86.2 CA$119

-2.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 £4.01

$3.58 CA$4.96

50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.21 CA$1.68

43.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.60 £24.98

$24.51 CA$33.94

37.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$1.15 CA$1.60

63.48%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$38.0K £28.2K

$25.0K CA$34.6K

52.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K £30.8K

$20.9K CA$29.0K

97.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$303 £225

$150 CA$208

102.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.17 £17.22

$38.86 CA$53.8

-40.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.56 £32.38

$53.0 CA$73.3

-17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.04 £34.97

$36.45 CA$50.5

29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 £9.43

$11.73 CA$16.24

8.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,584 £1,177

$644 CA$892

145.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,885 £5,118

$22.4K CA$31.0K

-69.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.4 £68.0

$56.6 CA$78.4

61.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.64 £30.95

$34.04 CA$47.14

22.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 £65.0

$97.3 CA$135

-10.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 £54.3

$120 CA$167

-39.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 £922

$1,346 CA$1,864

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 £558

$1,306 CA$1,808

-42.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 £1,041

$2,056 CA$2,846

-31.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 £825

$1,970 CA$2,728

-43.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,457 £1,826

$2,916 CA$4,037

-15.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

6.62

-15.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Oldham: May 30, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,240 in Oldham and $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87.0 in Oldham vs $75.0 in Hamilton. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $343, with Oldham cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Oldham vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oldham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hamilton earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,240 in Oldham versus $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,584 in Oldham versus $644 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,097 in Oldham versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oldham but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Oldham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oldham is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Oldham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.